Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical instruments for applying surgical staples to and cutting body tissue, and more particularly, to a surgical instrument for progressively placing rows of staples in body tissue and forming an incision between the staple rows.
Background of Related Art
Many surgical procedures require the application of one or more surgical fasteners, e.g., staples, to body organs and tissue. In many instances, the staples are secured to tissue in linear rows and the tissue is cut between the rows of staples. Typically, the tool assembly for stapling and cutting tissue is configured for a single use. In this manner, tissue to be stapled and cut is positioned between a cartridge and an anvil of the tool assembly and the tool assembly is actuated. Any further stapling and cutting of the tissue requires replacement of the staple cartridge. It would be beneficial to provide a surgical stapler that is capable of multiple actuations without having to replace the staple cartridge.